I bought one today, from of all places - Harbor Freight. I'll get into why that seems strange to me in a minute...since I buy plenty of stuff from HF.
Here's the specs - 2 cylinder, 2 stage, 5 hp, 60 gallon, runs on 240 - only pulls 22 amp (so it will run on a 30 amp breaker) and the real key spec - 15.8 CFM @ 90 PSI. Tops out at 165 psi, cuts on at 125, takes about 1 min run time to top off. Supposed to be pretty quiet tho run RPM and db are not specc'd out on the description
Most of the compressors in this price range are only 10 CFM, the extra capacity means it will run a sand blaster or pretty much any air tools I have including die grinders, sanders and such, let alone my impact wrenches. Also no info on duty cycle, but most of the 2 stage compressors like this will run a very high duty cycle, and since it's just me it won't get used that heavily as I won't be doing body work with it. ;D
And here's the real kicker - or one of several - it's made in USA....by a division of Atlas Copco.
Harbor Freight selling American made tools - imagine that?
OK, here's the fun part - $594 shipped to my local store. Store manager about crapped when he saw the price I showed him on my phone, normal price was closer to $1K.
https://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html)
I got the made in USA info from a couple of guys on the Garage Forum who have one - tank made in Va, compressor made in NC, and the electric motor in Mexico. I won't get it for a few weeks as it's shipped in on their regular truck from their warehouse in California, but that's OK, I really don't have any place to put it till I build the shop anyway, although I'm fairly sure I'll figure out a way to plug it in and run it when I get it! 77.gif
If the electric motor ever gives out, it looks like there is cage built right on top for conversion to hamster wheel power!
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/3/93274_I.jpg)
Good specs compared to the husky. At that price if the Chinese motor craps out you can just swap on something else. I had to retrofit one on mine cause it was 4 phase.
Not a Chinese motor, hecho en Mexico! ;D
US made cast iron 2 stage pump....tank made in USA too.
Don't know about hamsters, maybe I can get a squirrel or two in there!
I have Central pneumatic inline air sander. Central pneumatic seems have very good products.
Went to get my compressor today, I hauled it home on my trailer, and it's a good thing as I have no idea how we would have gotten it out of the back of a pickup truck. Not only is it extremely top heavy but we couldn't have backed into the garage to unload it as it's taller than the opening, even on my trailer.
So I backed the trailer in just far enough that about 1 foot of the ramp was on the garage floor, walked it back on the pallet to the edge, then had the ramp lay over the legs of the engine hoist, then i walked it back onto the ramp, then lay some 2x6's across the legs of the engine hoist and walked it back onto those.
Then I drug the hoist out from under the ramp and hooked it up to the compressor, just under the pump frame, that allowed me to lift it off the shipping pallet and with a little help to keep it upright, lower between the legs of the engine hoist to the floor. From there it was easy to walk it back to where I'll store it for now.
I can go ahead and plumb it with a reducer and a ball valve so I can run it and see how loud it is, but it will need some rubbers under the feet or I think it will walk. maybe not, we'll see. Oh and there's a 240V receptacle right behind where it's sitting, so I can make up a service cord and plug it in. that's where the garage A/C plugs in so I can't run them both at the same time, but I can certainly run it and see how long it takes to fill and shut off.
Fire it up!
Gotta make up a lead, need the right plug too.
Then I need a bushing and a ball valve....need to go to the store to buy some bits.
Shore is purdy!
Turns out I had almost everything I needed to fire it up except the wall plug. Plus too and also they want it to free run (pressure valve wide open) for 30 minutes, and I don't want to run it this time of night, so it will have to wait till tomorrow.
Bed in the rings I guess huh?
My new one had a break in period also. Then wanted the oil changed after the first 5 hours.
Fired it up today for the half hour break-in................it's loud.
I'll be happy to have it in the little room outside the shop once it's built so I won't have to listen to it. I'll be looking at insulation and sound proofing options....I've seen several different ways to knock the noise down, one involves using a car air cleaner as most of the noise seems to come from the intake.
Once it finishes it's break-in I'll close the valve and see how long it takes to fill the tank and shut off. Right now with the 1/2" valve wide open it's putting out a bunch of air!
Can't see in the pics what the filter setup is on it. I know the air compressor at the shop I used for years was loud as hell too, kind of high pitched. Maybe it runs at a higher rpm or something? My big beast out back chugs along in a low tone you can't hear inside and isn't waking the neighborhood up outside.
From what I've read the noise is mostly from the intake, which is nothing more than a little block of foam. Some guys have gone to the picknpull and got an air cleaner off a car - they say it makes a huge difference. other guys have extended the intake with a piece of plastic tubing............not sure how that helps in my case.
5 min from dead empty to the full 150psi, however I can hear a leak, and it's not from the valve I put on it so I'm going to have to trouble shoot that - it sounds like it's coming from the pressure switch so it could be I just need to add some teflon tape or pipe dope.
Next you'll have to fit a velocity stack and a K&N ;D
I have a huge brand new muffler you could have for this mod.
I think I can do better than that.....however, it was interesting to hear that there was still a lot of general racket and noise even with the muffler on. All the more reason to put it out of the shop, in it's own little insulated shed.
I might try it on mine just to see how it is in person. I just need 3 hoses to feed into the muffler.
Quote from: BruceK on March 15, 2020, 12:31:06 PM
If the electric motor ever gives out, it looks like there is cage built right on top for conversion to hamster wheel power!
(https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/3/93274_I.jpg)
I wish mine was built like the one in this pic, with the pressure switch easily accessible right out in front - instead mine has the switch mounted just under the edge of the support for the pump - it's not an issue, but access for the wiring and to remove the switch is fairly limited - and since mine is leaking I'll need to remove it to see if I can fix it - HF's offices and warranty dept. is closed due to the virus - and it only came with a 90 day warranty - the clock is ticking!
Fixed the leak today, the pressure switch wasn't tight.
It's currently in the garage right next to the living room/den - the room where the TV is and we spend all our time. I fired it up today and we went from room to room and I was surprised - in the bedroom directly above the compressor/garage it was just a low hum, easily masked by the white noise fan she runs as she sleeps in the day time and stays up nights.
In the den it was quite a bit more noticeable but still not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In the garage it's LOUD, so I may be moving it down into the basement after all if I'm not building the shop. I thought about moving it out of the garage and into the shed on the back of the house but that would require major plumbing and wiring. For right now it will just stay where it is.
I am going to look into a quieter intake arrangement, but I'm not convinced it will make that much difference. I did buy some pads for the feet - that helped some. Mostly I did it so it wouldn't walk.
Unless I have a leak or I'm using it a lot like for sandblasting, I don't think it will run that often or that long. Mine is under 4 min from zero to shut off at 135 psi. Less than a minute from cut in to shut off when the tank is already at pressure. I may bump that pressure up some so I don't get short cycling.
What's the latest with this?
Works perfectly, leaks all fixed and it runs sweet....haven't done anything about the intake yet.
So, I've had my compressor for over a year now and since I don't have a sand blast cabinet it's only been used for my air gun and other air powered tools. I have used it with my die grinder which is a real air hog and it had no trouble keeping up.
I can use it for a long time blowing parts dry before it kicks on again, and it only takes about 2 min to refill the tank and shut off again. One thing I should do and haven't is walk around outside the house and especially the garage and see how much noise the neighbor's can hear when it runs. I did have it cut on once in the middle of the night as I'd left the air valve open and an air gun attached - it must have leaked very slightly as I didn't hear it. Now I try and remember to shut the valve whenever I'm done with it.
One thing that's a bit of a PITA, I have to unplug it when I want to run the A/C as they share the 240V receptacle and I can't run them both at the same time from that, but so far it's been rare that I needed both. Reaching behind to to get the plug in is the worst part, other than that no biggie......
Over all - other than the noise, which seems to have quieted down a bit, I'm very happy with it and I expect to get at least 10 years use out of it before I slide into decrepitude. ;D
I still have that spare muffler sitting here that would be great for getting the noise down. 6.gif
Maybe when you bring the Pup up?
Good idea. I'll dig it out of the carport to bring with me.
Dave,
I made a priority switch for a 220volt heater that I use to share with the compressor.
Get a contactor with normally closed contacts and a 220volt coil. Run the a/c through the contactor.
Activate the contactor coil with the compressor pressure switch to cut out the a/c anytime the compressor is on.
I went to propane heat I now use the switch for the level2 car charger.
It's very nice not having to change plugs.
Additionally, you can use the normally open side of the contactor to run the compressor if you like it takes the load off of the pressure switch but that is not necessary if you don't want to.
https://www.amazon.com/TE-CONNECTIVITY-POTTER-BRUMFIELD-PRD-11AG0-240/dp/B00IWJG7HG/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=30a+dpdt+relay+240vac&linkCode=ll2&linkId=203be3508ea0abb1614cf3010d4b2c4c&qid=1632857303&sr=8-4
OK, so I would need two receptacles, then use the contactor to either/or which unit actually is using the power? I would need a simple schematic to wire this - but I don't know if it's really needed as I rarely have to run both on the same day....
Also, if it switches off the A/C to run the compressor, I would have to manually restart the A/C once the compressor kicks off, right?
If your a/c has a digital control that doesn't pick up where it left off after losing power then yes you would have to manually restart.
There is a way to do it and use the contactor as an A/C compressor cutout.
But it doesn't sound like it's worth the trouble in your limited use of both.
In your case, I'd be very tempted to just add another outlet and manually switch them off and on without having to plug and unplug.
look at the running amps of both your circuit might just do it. I'm assuming It's the startup load that would put it over the top. But what are the odds of the A/C compressor kicking on at exactly the same time as the air compressor? wost case tripped breaker.
If you decide you would like to setup a priority switch I'm happy to help with a schematic.
anyone try a rc40 twin box muffler on the compressor intake? lol to keep it mini up in here
;D ;D